Randy Moss: From star to afterthought with 49ers

By PAUL NEWBERRY -
Associated Press -
Tuesday, January 29, 2013

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Randy Moss strolled to the podium on Super Bowl media day _ his 49ers hat tilted slightly to the left, his sleeves rolled up high to reveal a cross tattooed on one arm, a large “R” tattooed on the other.

He carried himself very much like the star he once was.

“I don’t know how many questions I’m gonna give you,” he barked to reporters, before breaking into a smile. “So go ahead.”

Then, for the next hour or so, he was the center of attention _ a role he seemed perfectly suited for, even though he kept saying over and over that he just wants to be treated like anyone else.

Moss proclaimed himself “the greatest receiver ever to play this game.” He urged all the coaches out there to listen to their players every now and then.

“I’m me,” Moss declared. “I just do it my way. That’s just how I feel. I don’t try to be better than the next man, or break any laws or any rules. Nothing like that. But what do I believe in? I believe in myself. That’s just the way I’ve always done it.

“I know,” he quickly added, “there’s some people out there who like me, and I know there’s a lot of people out there who don’t. For what reason, I don’t know and don’t really care.”

Moss was once the NFL’s most dominant receiver, but those days are long past. He’s 35 now, clearly on the downside of a career that actually seemed over a year ago. After bouncing around to three different teams in 2010, he didn’t play at all last season. But, he wasn’t ready to walk away from the sport just yet _ and San Francisco gave him a chance to come back for another shot at the ring.

There was one big caveat: Moss would no longer be the center of the offense.

The 49ers had plenty of others _ from receiver Michael Crabtree to tight end Vernon Davis to running back Frank Gore. Now that Colin Kaepernick has taken over at quarterback, it’s easy to forget that No. 84 is even on the field. Sure, Moss is savoring the 49ers run to the Super Bowl, where they’ll face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, but he’s still struggling to get his arms around the idea of being an afterthought on the field.

“I’ve always considered myself a playmaker,” he said. “Blocking? Yeah, I understand that’s part of the game. Me going out to be decoy? Yeah, I know that’s part of the game. But for me not to be out here making plays is something I just don’t understand.”

He came oh-so-close during the 2007 season, teaming with Tom Brady to lead New England to an unbeaten regular season and two more wins in the playoffs. Then, in the game that really mattered, the high-powered Patriots were shut down in the Super Bowl by the New York Giants, who rallied for a stunning 17-14 upset after David Tyree _ not Moss _ made a catch that left everyone in awe.

It’s a game Moss has never bothered to watch on video. It’s a game that sticks with him to this day _ and probably will forever, even if the 49ers win on Sunday.